Self-adjusting mophead



Dec. 22, 1953 w. H. RICHARDS ETAL SELF-ADJUSTING MOPHEAD Filed Feb. 26, 1952 INVENTORS HFR fd@ c1 Vd J W FIP i C ol V r` ATMVO m03. QW... AVAN Q`B AUAHOSOQ VIM,

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 22, 1953 rice SELF-ADJUSTING MOPHEAD William H. Richards and William F. Richards, Rehoboth, Del.

rApplication February 26, 1952, Serial No. 273,458

6 Claims.

Our invention relates to sponge mops.

Cellulose-sponge material is widely used at the present time in the manufacture of mops and similar cleaning devices, as this material upon becoming wet is exceedingly pliable and highly absorptive and generally possesses ideal qualities for use as a mop or the like. The cellulosesponge element .of the mop is usually permanently secured with cement or the like to a suitable headplate or carrier, and the mop handle is connected with this headplate. When the cellulose-sponge element dries out, it tends toV become very stiff or hard, and is also subject to a great deal of shrinkage. The shrinkage is also so pronounced that the cellulose sponge may tear loose from its headplate, and sometimes causes the headplate to bend or warp, which is highly undesirable. rlhe cellulose-sponge element may shrink so much that it tends to separate or'tear itself apart at several points.`

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a mop construction wherein the above-mentioned difculties are overcome and the cellulose-sponge element is free'to shrink or expand without damaging itself or bending or` distorting the headplate of the mop. A further object is to provide a mop of the above-mentioned character which is highly simplied in construction, sturdy and durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

A still further object of the invention is Vto provide in a scrub mop of the above-mentioned class a removable and replaceable cellulose sponge reiill assembly, which is connected with the headplate of the mop in a novel manner whereby portions of the cellulose-sponge element may move relative to the headplate when shrinkage or expansion occurs.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a mop embodying our invention, part in section,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, part broken away.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, and,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary'vertical section through one adjustable connection between the mop headplate and sponge-refill as- `sembly.A Y A Y In thedrawings, where for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of our invention, the numeral I0 designates a generally iiat rectangular head or backing plate of sheet metal or the like. The vheadplate It is preferably somewhat elongated, as shown, and may be provided at its opposite longitudinal edges with low upturned integral anges I i, in order to increase the rigidity of the headplate. A suitable handle socket I2 is arranged centrally upon the headplate It, and has a flat mounting ange I3 at its lower end, engaging the top of the headplate and detachably rigidly secured thereto by screws Irl. A handle I5 has its lower end secured within the socket I2 in any conventional manner, and the socket and handle are preferably disposed at an inclination to the headplate I0, as shown in Figure 3 in order to render more convenient the operation of the mop.

We provide a removable or replaceable rell assembly IS, which includes a block or slab il of cellulose sponge. The sponge block I'i is preferably of uniform and substantial thickness, as shown, and somewhat larger in area than the headplate I@ so that the marginal edge of the sponge block projects beyond the marginal edge of the headplate at all sides of the same. This arrangement provides a buffer or cushion projecting beyond the marginal edges of the headplate It for projecting furniture and the like from direct contact with the rigid headplate. The refill assembly IS further includes three at rectangular mounting plates i8, I9 and 2,'permanently secured to the top face of the sponge block I'I by suitable heat-resistant cement, such as cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate or rubber cement. The intermediate mounting plate I9 is arranged at the longitudinal center of the mop and directly beneath the handle socket I2, and this mounting plate I9 has a pair of screwthreaded openings 2l formed therein for receiving the screws I4, which serve to rigidly secure the intermediate mounting plate i9 to the bottom of the headplate' Il! and also rigidly secure the socket I2 to the tcp thereof.

The end mounting plates I3 and 2S are spaced substantial distances from the intermediate plate I9, for dening transverse passages 22 between the headplate Il! and the top of the sponge block, which passages extend for the entire width of the headplate, as shown. The headplate it is preferably provided adjacent to the passages 22 with rows of draining and Ventilating apertures 23.

The rectangular mounting plates I8, i9 and v2) extend for substantiallyA the entire width of the headplate ill, as shown, and cover substantially the entire bottom surface of the same, except for the areas adjacent to the passages 22. The headplate l0 is provided at its transverse center and near opposite ends of the same with longitudinal slots 24, and these slots are located directly above the endmost mounting plates i8 and 2t, as shown. The mounting plates I3 and 20 are provided centrally with conical openings 25, which taper upwardly, and these openings receive conical heads 2B of upwardly directed screws 2l', having enlarged cylindrical shank portions 28 which engage slidably within the slots 2li. The upper ends of the cylindrical shank portions 2S form hat shoulders 29 which project a slight distance above the top surface of the headplate il), see Figure Il. Flat washers Se are mounted upon the screws 27 and engage the shoulders 29 thereof, and wing nuts 3l are mounted upon the screws 27 above the washers D 3e for clamping the washers into `tight engagement with the shoulders 29. The flat washers 3d are substantially wider than the slots v2l! so that they cannot pass through the slots when the screws move longitudinally therein. When the wing nuts are thus tightened, there is still a slight clearance between the top surface 0f the headplate le and the washers 3c., whereby the shank portions 23 remain freely slidable longitudinally within the slots 24. The conical screw l heads 2t may project slightly below the bottoms of the mounting plates I 8 and 2Q 'and merely embed themselves within the sponge block il and do no harm.

With this arrangement, the endrnost mounting plates i8 and 2i) constitute slides which are freely 'adjustable longitudinally of the headplate lli together with the screws 2l, which are guided by the slots 2G. The slots have substantially the same width as the diameter of the shank portions 23, so that there is no appreciable i'novement oi the mounting plates I3 and `2t trans versely of the headplate it, Whenever the cellulose-sponge block il shrinks, due to repeated wetting and drying, the mounting plates or slides v iii and 2d adjust themselves automatically longitudinally of the headplate iii to compensate for shrinkage, and the slots 2c are sufliciently long to take care of the maximum shrinkage or ex pension of the sponge element Il.

Whenever the sponge block I1 is squeezed or compressed by any suitable means to remove the excess water from the same, such water is expelled from all the exposed surfaces of the sponge block and also through the passages 22 and apertures 23. The passages 2z thus provide increased areas through which water can be expelled from the mop, and also increased areas of ventilation for drying the mop. The passages also provide the necessary space for the automatic adjustnient of the plates or slides IS and 20.

lThe cellulose-sponge element or block i1 is also subject to Ashrinkage in the transverse direction, but since the width of the mop is a great deal less than its length, the transverse shrinkage is much less than longitudinal shrinkage and may be neglected. The transverse shrinkage will not be sufficient to cause the sponge element to become damaged or cause any distortion or bending of the mop headplate.

After the cellulose-sponge block l1 is worn to the extent making its replacement desirable, the entire refill assembly I6 may be replaced by merely removing the nuts 3| and washers 3U and also the screws I4. which elements are merely 4 replaced after a new rell assembly I6 is brought into position beneath the headplate It.

The construction of our mop is highly simplied and quite inexpensive to manufacture. The construction prevents the cellulose sponge block l1 from damaging itself or any other part of the mop assembly when shrinkage occurs, as previously described.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described our invention, we claim:

,1. A mop comprising an elongated absorbent pad which is soft and pliable when wet but which is stiff and subject to substantial shrinkage when dry, a substantially rigid backing plate arranged adjacent to one side of the pad and fixedly secured to the pad near the longitudinal center thereof, the backing plate having longitudinal slots near the opposite ends thereof, slide plates xedly secured to the pad and disposed between the pad and backing plate adjacent to the slots, and connecting elements carried by the slide Aplates and extending into the longitudinal slots, whereby the slide plates can move longitudinally of the backing plate when shrinkage of the absorbent pad occurs.

2. A mop comprising an elongated padof cellulose spcnge, intermediate and end plates xedly secured to one side of the pad in longitudinally spaced relation, a substantially rigid backing plate mounted upon the intermediate and end plates and extending over all of such plates and iixedly secured to the intermediate plate, the backing plate being Aprovided adjacent to said end plates with longitudinal slots, screws connected with the end plates and extending through the slots, and nuts mounted upon the screws and arranged outwardly of the' backing plate, whereby said end plates are longitudinally slidable upon the backing plate when shrinkage of the pad occurs, the slots serving to guide `the end plates during their movement and limiting the extent of relative movement between said end and backing plates.

3. A mop comprising an absorbent pad which is soft and pliable when wet and stiff and subject to substantial shrinkage when dry, a substantially rigid backing plate arranged adjacent to a side o' the pad and xedly secured thereto over ya portion only of said side, the backing plate having a slot formed therein adjacent to a portion of the pad free from attachment to the backing plate, a slide plate xedlysecured to said side of the pad and arranged between the pad and backing plate adjacent to said slot, and a connecting clement xedly secured to `the slide plate and extending into the slot of the backing plate and adapted to be guided thereby so that the slide plate can slide upon the backing plate in one direction for a substantial distance when shrinking of the pad occurs.

4. A mop device comprising an absorbent pad which is soft and pliable when wet and stiff and subject to substantialV shrinkage when dry, a slide plate secured to one side of the pad and extending for a portion only of the length of said side, a backing plate secured to said side of the pad in superposed relation to'said slide plate and extending for the major portion of the length of said side and spaced from the pad adjacent to the slide plate, the backing plate slidably contacting the slide plate and having a slot extending therethrough adjacent to the slide plate in superposed relation thereto, and a connecting element secured to the slide plate substantially normal to the slide and backingplates and engaging the slot of the backing plate and guided thereby when the slide plate moves relative to the backing plate due to shrinkage of the pad.

5. A mop comprising an absorbent pad which is soft and pliable when Wet and stiff and subject to substantial shrinkage when dry, a substantially rigid backing plate arranged adjacent to one side of the pad and secured thereto near the longitudinal center of the pad, the backing plate having longitudinal slots formed therein near the opposite ends thereof, slide plates secured tosaid pad and disposed between the pad and backing plate adjacent to the slots, connecting elements carried by the slide plates and extending through said slots and above said backing plate, the connecting elements having shoulders spaced above the backing plate, and elements secured to said connecting elements above the backing plate and engaging said shoulders and spaced thereby from the top of the backing plate, whereby the connecting elements are freely movable within the slots when shrinkage of the absorbent pad causes the slide plates to move longitudinally of the backing plate.

6. A mop comprising an absorbent pad which is to substantial shrinkage when dry, a substantially rigid backing plate arranged adjacent to one side of the pad and secured to the pad near the longitudinal center thereof, the backing plate having longitudinal slots formed therein near opposite ends thereof, slide plates secured to the pad and disposed between the pad and backing plate adjacent to said slots, screws secured to the slide plates and extending through said longitudinal slots and movable longitudinally of the slots and having shoulders projecting above the backing plate and reduced screw-threaded portions above the shoulders, and nuts carried by the reduced screw-threaded portions and engaging the shoulders and spaced thereby from the backing plate.

WILLIAM H. RICHARDS. WILLIAM F. RICHARDS.

References Cited in the file 0f this patent France Apr. 4, 1951 

